As has been pointed out in some detail by parent applications, Ser. No. 334,329, SPS-ase has the capability of hydrolyzing the water soluble protein binding polysaccharide present in soy flour decomposed by use of conventional pectinases. SPS is characterized by a capability to bind to proteins, and a like or the same water soluble polysaccharide is believed to exist throughout plant kingdom substances.
SPS, as such, has been found to be largely unaffected by treatment with such carbohydrases as pectinases and cellulases. However, SPS-ase purified so as to free from all accompanying enzyme activities has been found to be less effective on SPS than the (more crude) SPS-ase preparations recovered from fermentation of the SPS-ase producing microorganism. In consequence, SPS-ase preparations would normally not be fractionated to provide a single enzyme activity product, nor be treated to destroy the other carbohydrase activities present. SPS-ase preparations recovered from fermentation of an SPS-ase producing microorganism exhibit considerable pectinase activity, cellulase and hemicellulase activity. Some proteinase activity is also present. Presence of a beta-glucanase activity has been found.
The multiple activities present in SPS-ase preparations make such preparations more effective for treatment of SPS itself and make SPS-ase preparations effective hydrolytic enzymes wherever SPS or a like polysaccharide is present, as for example, in juices, mashes, wines, beers and the like, and in some process wastes. Polysaccharides capable of being hydrolyzed by SPS preparations are present throughout the plant kingdom.
An object of this invention is to provide a process for clarifying in juices, wines, beers and the like by treatment with SPS-ase preparations.
A further object of this invention is to improve viscosity characteristics in mashes, worts, and the like by treatment with SPS-ase preparations.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a process for liquefying solid process waste polysaccharide materials by treatment with SPS-ase preparations.
An additional object of this invention is to improve the digestability of silage by treatment of fresh silage with SPS-ase preparations.